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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25962628">The Kiss (2020)</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/smiley_seulgi/pseuds/smiley_seulgi'>smiley_seulgi</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Reworked Stories [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Red Velvet (K-pop Band)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Artists, Alternate Universe - College/University, F/F, Fluff, Joohyun fixes that, One Shot, Romance, Seulgi is allergic to love, squint for joyri</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 09:07:59</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>9,050</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25962628</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/smiley_seulgi/pseuds/smiley_seulgi</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Kang Seulgi is an art student who absolutely despises romance. She’s never understood the reason why it’s such a prevelant theme in her studies. When she finds herself forced into studying Gustav Klimt’s The Kiss for an art history assignment, chaos quickly ensues.</p><p>Or: Seulrene ends up bickering about the symbolism of a painting and gets museum security called on them in the process.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Bae Joohyun | Irene/Kang Seulgi, Kim Yerim | Yeri/Park Sooyoung | Joy</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Reworked Stories [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1884385</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>32</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The Kiss (2020)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">


        <li>
            Inspired by

            <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/14733806">The Kiss (2015)</a> by <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/smiley_seulgi/pseuds/smiley_seulgi">smiley_seulgi</a>.
        </li>

    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hello, everyone ! As a part of trying to reintroduce myself into writing again, here’s an updated version of this fic. I’m keeping the original fic up on here (and on AFF) because I think it’s cool to see how much growth I’ve had since when I first wrote this oneshot. Hope you guys enjoy !  </p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>If Seulgi were a superhero, love would be her archnemesis. The art major absolutely despises the stuff. Romantic comedies with the predictable plots (boy meets girl, boy gets girl, bleh) always made her gag. She cringed internally and externally at the sound of pet names. Exhibit A: once, she almost elbowed Moonbyul in the face after overhearing Yongsun calling the silver haired girl ‘My moon’. Exhibit B: she actually did end up slapping Seungwan in the face when a kiss scene in a movie they were watching popped up. Exhibit C: you get the idea, right?</p><p>Seulgi absolutely loathes Valentine’s Day with a fiery passion that could melt all the chocolate hearts in the world. But most of all, Seulgi couldn’t stand the cheesy, greasy pickup lines her peers so frequently used to hit on each other. In fact, just yesterday, Seulgi had been subjected to such brazen treatment. Some guy she’d never seen before in her life had walked up to her table in the student union with this annoyingly large smile nearly splitting his face in two.</p><p>“Seulgi-ssi?” He asked, wringing his hands together nervously. Somehow, he knew her name. But Seulgi paid him no mind. She’d been so engrossed in chowing down on her food that Seungwan, her best friend, had to nudge her a few times to grab her attention.</p><p>“Mm?” She glanced over at Seungwan with her mouth positively stuffed with a mouthful of her black bean burger. She followed Seungwan’s extended index finger and narrowed her eyes at the young man. Seulgi narrowed her eyes as she sized him up, trying to figure out if she’d ever seen him before. Not even a flicker of recognition came over her as she glanced over him, but that didn’t come as a surprise. Seoul National boasted a near 30,000 student body and Seulgi was just another face in the crowd. All of them were, really.</p><p>“Oh. Uh, what’s up?” Seulgi questioned, feeling slightly irritated at the intrusion. She’d just come from her chemistry class, one of her hardest courses that semester. Why she had chosen chemistry as her science credit, she will never understand but she had to get through it. Her professor had passed back their midterms and Seulgi had received a less than stellar test grade.</p><p>She wasn’t in the best of moods if the way she aggressively shoved another handful of Pringles in her mouth was any indication. What could this boy possibly want from her? Her friends had picked up on the oddity and were quietly waiting for the scene to unfold. Eunhae was whispering in Eunji’s ear, who was whispering in Seungwan’s ear. Yongsun and Moonbyul watched on in silence, munching on their food, though they seemed interested in what was going on.</p><p>“Uh, I, um…,” he trailed off sheepishly. Seulgi raised an eyebrow at him, clearly not amused at whatever the boy was trying to get at. Was this going to turn into some kind of public confession? Seulgi despised those. She felt the prickle of her friends’ eyes on her as she rubbed the back of her neck. “Look. I’m sorry, I’m kind of in the middle of-” but before Seulgi could even finish her sentence, she was cut off by the boy.</p><p>In an apparent burst of courage, he sucked in a deep breath and bellowed, “Ah! Seulgi-yah! Vogue just called, they want you on the cover!” The entire second floor of the student union building stilled at his outcry. Everyone seated at Seulgi’s table exchanged wide eyed looks, clearly shocked at what had just occurred. Nothing seemed to move. Until Moonbyul smacked Seulgi on the shoulder with a loud wheeze, that is.</p><p>As if on cue, the rest of Seulgi’s friends erupted into fits of laughter that ricocheted off the building’s walls while the rest of the student body slowly went about their business again. Seulgi clenched her fist, sending a shower of Pringles crumbs over her plate. She was acutely aware of the increasing number of eyes trained on her and her table. Seulgi wanted to track down that boy and give him a good wringing out.</p><p>She hadn’t seen that boy since that fateful event, but Seulgi knew he was out there somewhere. And if she ever spotted him on campus...well, that would be a story for a different day. There were fewer things in this world Seulgi hated more than cheesy pickup lines. Yes, indeed.</p><p>Even as a child, Seulgi had shied away from any form of affection. At the age of five, she developed an uncanny knack for refusing hugs and avoiding kisses from relatives. Eventually, everyone got the hint Seulgi was not the same touchy-feely, lovey-dovey child her cousins were.</p><p>Although her parents assured others their daughter was merely going through a phase she would come to grow out of, Seulgi proved them wrong time and time again. After a few years, they let her be and she stopped dodging family gatherings when she became old enough to put up a fight.</p><p>Her aloof attitude towards love and affection is the main reason why Seulgi damn near walks out of her art history classroom the next day. Her professor finally announced the class’s assigned art studies for the semester and Seulgi finds herself filled with rage. The piece she’d been given to do her project on was The Kiss by Gustav Klimt, arguably one of the most critically acclaimed romantic themed pieces of all time.</p><p>Seulgi had been hoping for one of Van Gogh’s or Picasso’s numerous works to save her from dealing with anything too amorous in nature. The Kiss was the epitome of everything Seulgi’s ever stood against: love, romance, affection, all of the above. Perhaps that’s the reason why her professor assigned it to her, to force Seulgi into studying the blatant romantic themes surrounding the piece. After all, Seulgi had been pretty blatant about her disdain for all things tenderness and passion throughout the duration of the art history class.</p><p>Seulgi wasn’t one to back down over something she believed in so firmly. She often spoke out against her peers and her professor during class discussions over the matter. Seulgi likes to argue that Soojung, one of the peers she usually butts heads with, starts it half the time.</p><p> </p><p>**</p><p> </p><p>At the beginning of the class, they focused on artists and their muses. It wasn’t uncommon for artists to be enraptured by a certain figure in their lives and base their art around them. But Seulgi kind of curdled up and died inside during this section of the class and frequently rebuffed the idea underneath her breath.</p><p>“Everyone has a muse, Seulgi,” Soojung muttered. “What’s your deal?” Seulgi watched with steely as she shook her head, the corner of her lip curling up in disagreement. Fair enough, Seulgi thought to herself. She was more than ready for a challenge.</p><p>“I’m not disagreeing with you, Soojung,” she quips, the underlying tone of her voice a tad bit snarky. “I’m merely saying that not everyone’s muse has to be a person. Especially someone they’re romantically involved with. It’s possible for inspiration to spark from everywhere, right?”</p><p>“That’s quite enough,” their professor spoke up from the front of the studio. Her voice effectively silences the bristling girls into dropping their argument. But ever since that day, Seulgi swore the professor brought up more romantic themes just to gauge her reaction towards it. Or perhaps she was merely imagining things - Romanticism had been a genuine artistic movement, after all. She swore to Seungwan that the professor truly was keeping an eye out for her, though.</p><p> </p><p>**</p><p> </p><p>Whatever, Seulgi told herself, gritting her teeth at her assignment sheet. At least I won’t have any issues making the five page minimum. Seulgi was certain she’d have loads to discuss in her paper.</p><p>By some stroke of a miracle, she manages to keep her emotions in check for the rest of the class. She opts for silently fuming as her professor goes over examples of the assignment to give the class an idea of what they were in for. The moment she and Seungwan step out of class, Seulgi groans.</p><p>“What the actual fuckery is this?” Seulgi exclaims, unleashing her frustrations. Even in the overly crowded corridors of the art and architecture building, her dissatisfaction rings loud and clear to anyone milling about. But Seulgi could genuinely care less about the confused looks being thrown their way. She had The Kiss to deal with. “Why does the universe continue to prove it’s out to get me?” She yells, throwing her hands up in exasperation.</p><p>Seungwan snorts, struggling slightly to keep up with her friend’s long legged pace. “You know, usually, art majors are absolutely ecstatic to be studying...art,” the Canadian says, tossing her a lopsided grin. “What do you mean? I love my major. I’m just not a huge fan of all the romance-y bullshit, that’s all,” Seulgi rolled her eyes. She pulled out her phone and typed something out quickly. “The Kiss seems like one of the world’s biggest cliches out there for all those fanciful notions.”</p><p>Seulgi thrusts her phone into Seungwan’s face, Klimt’s piece flashing across the screen in bright, bold yellow hues. “Look at it,” Seulgi scoffs in disgust, jabbing an accusatory index finger at the artwork. Seungwan squints her eyes at the display, trying to avoid getting a phone screen straight to the face. “It’s gold leafed for god’s sake.” Seungwan pushes her hand away, giving her a pensive look as they push out of the building and into the chilly autumn air.</p><p>“Aren’t art majors supposed to be a little lovey-dovey and romanticize all sorts of things? Like how some of those really famous pieces depicting historical events aren’t actually how they went down at all?” Seungwan retorts, expression turning thoughtful. “Anyway, wasn’t it Klimt who proclaimed that, ‘All art is erotic’? In the lessons we had over his stuff last week?”</p><p>Seulgi lets out another inhumane groan. She fixes her scarf to cover half her face in a feeble attempt to protect herself from the unrelenting cold. “That has to be the cheesiest shit I’ve ever heard,” Seulgi complains. “Also, I hate that cliche about artists. I mean, just because I can draw well doesn’t automatically mean I can win somebody’s heart or something.” Seungwan side-eyes the taller woman and snickers, “Yeah, because your sunshine attitude sure does get you all the girls at Seoul National, huh, Seulgi?”</p><p>They join the throng of students moving from class to class, making their way to the student union for lunch. “What...what’s that supposed to mean?” Seulgi mutters, jamming her hands in her jacket pockets. Seungwan whistles through her teeth. “Nothing,” she responds quickly. And then to change the subject, “What do you want for lunch today? Chipotle? Or did you want to hit up the Thai place nearby?” Seulgi’s still giving her an incredulous look as Seungwan steers them down the street and towards the corner store restaurant.</p><p> </p><p>**</p><p> </p><p>“I can’t fucking believe you got Van Gogh,” Seulgi mutters sleepily. It’s the next day, bright and sunny on a Thursday morning. She and Seungwan are waiting at the bus stop near their apartment complex, waiting to make the trip over to the Seoul National Art Museum. It was best to start working on their assignment as early as possible, seeing as they wouldn’t have as much free time within the next few weeks. But that didn’t mean Seulgi had to like it.</p><p>The dull autumnal sun had yet to peek out from behind a thick swath of clouds. The gloomy sky matched her disposition perfectly. Seulgi woke up still fussing over her bad luck at getting The Kiss and grumbling over the fact she hadn’t had time to grab any coffee before they walked to the bus stop. Luckily, Seungwan had the foresight to bring along a trusty set of earbuds to drown out her friend’s complaints.</p><p>She pretended to nod along to what Seulgi was saying, though she was really bobbing her head along to the beat of Kim Taeyeon’s latest released album. Realizing her friend was tuning her out, Seulgi huffs in frustration. She watches as a brown, tattered maple leaf stubbornly slides across the street. A frown weighed down on her features.</p><p>Her mood wasn’t only being affected by The Kiss, it was also the chilling cold that was creeping up her extremities. As much as Seulgi adored the changing of the seasons, she always seemed to forget just how cold Seoul could get this time of year. She cursed at herself internally for forgetting to snag a pair of gloves before heading out. At this rate, her fingers were going to freeze off and she’d wouldn’t be able to take any notes at the museum.</p><p>She scowled, her mood somehow managing to sour further than before. Seungwan innocently scrolled on her phone beside her, seemingly completely immune to the biting weather. Seulgi cast a sideways look at her friend, noting the thin windbreaker Seungwan had pulled over her cream colored cable-knit sweater with a sense of respect washing over her. It had to be the girl’s Canadian roots that allowed her to still feel so warm in such withering conditions. Seulgi was shivering underneath her wool overcoat and thermal turtleneck.</p><p>Thankfully, the bus pulls up to their stop a few minutes later. Its rumbling engine and churning wheels send batches of fallen leaves twirling through the air like a band of ballerinas. Seulgi’s fingers itch to sketch them out, but she refrains. If she drew everything she had an urge to, she’d never stop drawing. The pair ascend the steps and relish in the dizzying humidity of its heated interior. Seulgi can’t help the feeling of impending doom that crashes over her as she and Seungwan slip into a set of seats near the back of the bus.</p><p>“Seungwan, will you please switch pieces with me?” Seulgi asks for the thousandth time. The desperation in her voice is plain as day as Seungwan winds and unwinds her fingers through the thin cord of her earbuds. She swallows a lump building up in her throat. “I’m not even sure I can start this assignment without throwing up,” she whines. It’s a half truth. Seulgi had once been so repulsed by a particularly cheesy k-drama scene that she’d actually thrown up. At the time, Seungwan was excitedly shoving mouthfuls of popcorn in her face and elbowing Seulgi in the ribs.</p><p>“Look, look!” Seungwan had sung, completely oblivious to the way Seulgi’s face was turning a sickly shade of green. “Seulgi! They’re finally about to kiss, oh my god!” According to Seungwan, she’d merely thought Seulgi was expertly reenacting the sound effects of throwing up. When in fact, Seulgi had actually rushed over to the bathroom with a hand clamped over her mouth.</p><p>“Seungwan, I will literally buy you an entire boxed set of the latest Copic pens if you switch with me. I’d take anything over The Kiss! Please!” Seulgi whined, fingers weakly gripping Seungwan’s shoulder. One of Seulgi’s many, many quirks was that she was always used to getting her way. Seungwan bit back the urge to start giggling at the forlorn expression on Seulgi’s face. “You know, I would, but our professor told me after class before you barged out that if you tried to swap with anyone else, she’d fail you,” Seungwan warned.</p><p>Seulgi’s eyes widen comically in fear, her confidence rapidly deflating. The one thing Seulgi treasured in this world was the spotless 4.0 GPA she’d maintained for the past two years of her college career. She’d somehow equated graduating Summa Cum Laude as showing her family she wasn’t just some airheaded artist. Seulgi couldn’t afford to fail, let alone get a B or C. With her GPA at stake, as much as she hated to admit it, Seulgi knew she had no other option than to stick with the cursed The Kiss.</p><p>“So I’m stuck with Klimt and his romantic ass bullshit?” Seulgi murmurs weakly, peering down at her friend with defeat shining in her eyes. Seungwan bites at her tongue. “Yep.” She turns to stare out the window, popping her earbuds back in. “It’s just you and all the romantic bullshit today,” she murmurs underneath her breath.</p><p>Seulgi leans back in her seat and crosses her arms over her chest, brooding quietly. “This might be good for you,” Seungwan offered up, trying to boost her best friend’s morale. “I mean, you obviously have a lot to say about the painting already. It might not be so bad.” Seulgi grimaces. “Maybe you’re right,” she says lamely, though she doubted it.</p><p> </p><p>**</p><p> </p><p>Although Seulgi recognizes she’s being a complete, utter baby about completing this project, she still refuses to let go of Seungwan’s arm. She clings to her as a child clings to their mother during a temper tantrum, begging Seungwan not to leave her. It’s not one of Seulgi’s proudest moments per se, but her stubbornness doesn’t falter. Her fingers remain tightly wrapped around Seungwan’s straining bicep, holding her friend in place even as she struggles to break free.</p><p>“Seulgi, I have to. The Van Gogh exhibit is on the other side of the museum!” Seungwan hisses, prying desperately at Seulgi’s vice-like grip. “You’ve got to face Klimt all by yourself, anyway. It’ll build character,” she grunts out. Seulgi was much, much stronger than Seungwan anticipated. “Look, how about we meet up after we’re done taking notes?” Seungwan offers. “I’ll even buy you something from the gift shop if you’ll just let me go. For chrissake!”</p><p>The pair of college students are causing a bit of a scene at this point. Two fully grown women struggling against each other in the middle of the museum’s vast lobby. They looked like toddlers fighting over the possession of some toy on a pre-school playground. A family of four walks by and even the youngest, an actual toddler, throw them concerned looks.</p><p>After a few more minutes, Seulgi lets go because deep down, she knows Seungwan is right. The Canadian had threatened to throw both her notebook and sketch pad at her if she didn’t let go. But Seulgi was more concerned with the security guards eyeing them from behind the check-in desk.</p><p>Finally free from Seulgi’s ironclad grip, Seungwan smooths the creases out of her dress shirt. As if comforting a child, she reaches out and gives Seulgi a light, supportive squeeze on her shoulder. “You’ll be fine,” Seungwan murmurs, peering up at Seulgi’s sulky pout. She rolls her eyes at her friend’s antics and playfully punches at her arm. “Look, I promise looking at one romantic painting for half an hour isn’t going to kill you,” Seungwan laughed.</p><p>With one last smile, the Canadian strode across the lobby toward Van Gogh’s exhibit and disappeared around the corner. Seulgi watched her retreating figure with a tiny scowl tugging at her lips. “That’s easy for you to say,” she mutters underneath her breath. Taking a deep breath to ease her nerves, Seulgi turns in her heel and sorrowfully follows the signs pointing out Klimt’s display. Dread slowly pools in her gut with each tiny shuffle she makes towards her final destination.</p><p>Much to her surprise, the exhibit is practically empty when she walks in. Save for the lone security guard standing alert in the back of the room, Seulgi is Klimt’s only spectator. It was insanely early in the morning, Seulgi reasoned with herself. That must be why the museum seemed so echoey and empty. For some ungodly reason, Seungwan insisted they arrive the moment the museum opened for the day. It was barely nine o’clock now and Seulgi was still fighting back the urge to let her eyelids droop shut.</p><p>Finding some solace in being alone, Seulgi let herself wander into the middle of the room in search of The Kiss. The security guard seemed to pay her no mind, staring ahead at the wall with a blank look in his eyes. It was probably early for him, too, Seulgi smiled. Finally, she spots it, mounted on the far right wall right next to the exhibit entrance. It’s almost larger than life, much bigger than Seulgi anticipated it.</p><p>The photographs she googled really didn’t do The Kiss justice. Although Seulgi hated the primary subject matter (aka, love, gross) she found herself drawn to the vibrant colors, the gilded frame, its glittering gold leaf, and slivers of silver and platinum. She had to hand it to Klimt, he really knew how to take someone’s breath away. She ambles over to the giant painting and flips her notebook open. With her pen poised at the top of a blank page, she stared up The Kiss in all its glory.</p><p>The goal of her assignment was to write about what emotions the artist successfully (or unsuccessfully) encapsulates in the piece they created. She’d have to go in depth about how the artist’s work affected others starting from its completion date to modern day audience. Seulgi was also required to describe what emotions she felt while studying the piece. Quickly, she jots down her first honest impressions of the piece.</p><p>She’d done a bit of cursory Google searching on the painting before today and quickly recalled what she’d read from the few websites she’d clicked on. “The Kiss depicts an embracing couple kneeling in a grassy patch full of wildflowers. Clad in a geometrically-printed robe and with a crown on his head, the man gently cradles the woman’s face as he leans in to kiss her,” Seulgi quietly recites from memory. Her cold, hard eyes trace over the figures slowly and carefully, trying to absorb everything she could from a neutral standpoint.</p><p>“The female figure, donning a colorful, organically patterned dress that contrasts her partner’s robes, wears flowers in her hair. As she wraps her arms around her partner’s neck, her eyes remain peacefully closed, emphasizing the tranquility and intimacy of the scene,” she finishes softly, taking in the delicate flowers encircling the woman’s burning hair. Seulgi wasn’t expecting the serene calm that comes over her at the sight of the two lovers embracing. She crosses on leg over the other and tilts her head, drinking the scene in for all it was worth.</p><p>Up close and personal like this, Seulgi would undoubtedly be lying if she said she wasn’t blown away by the undeniable craftmanship Klimt displayed in his work. While gazing so tenderly at The Kiss, Seulgi hardly notices the hardened walls she’d built up around her heart slowly crumbling down, down, down. Seulgi had always been one to brush off the effect romantic themed works could have on influencing audiences, but now she was beginning to have second thoughts. There was something soothing about The Kiss, but Seulgi couldn’t quite put her finger on what that something was.</p><p>Perhaps it was because of how much negative space there was? The lovers, their garments, and the tiny patch of flower littered grass were the only objects painted in great detail. Their surroundings, shimmering and somewhat galactic in nature, were bereft of anything telling of any sort of setting. They looked as though they could be anywhere. In a backyard, in an open field, in an orchard, just lost in the vacuum of space and time, traveling on an alien planet.</p><p>Or perhaps it was the fact that the couple seemed so content with each other’s company? They were hidden away, shrouded in their own little gold-encrusted world. The different layers and varied brightness of the gilded stood out to Seulgi. In an odd way, she felt as if she were being drawn into the painting’s orbit, coaxed into stepping through the frame and into Klimt’s alternate reality. She was so engrossed in The Kiss, she hadn’t realized she had been inching closer and closer to it until someone tapped her on the shoulder.</p><p>“Excuse me,” a girl whispered, the soft sound enough to startle Seulgi nearly half to death.</p><p>“What the heck!” Seulgi screeched, reeling away from the painting as if the touch had scorched her. For a split second, she thought maybe Seungwan decided to play a prank on her. But then, an even worse thought occurred to her. What if Seungwan had seen her actually enjoying Klimt’s painting? God, she would never hear the end of it if that were the case. After gathering her composure and praying Seungwan wasn’t about to laugh in her face, Seulgi decided she’d have to meet her fate eventually.</p><p>“You scared the actual shit out of me,” Seulgi whined as she whirled around. Wait a second, that’s not Seungwan. She froze, eyeballing the girl standing next to her. Who the hell was this? “I’m sorry,” the stranger giggled. It was a rather cute giggle, in Seulgi’s honest opinion. She seemed completely unmoved by the way Seulgi had just A. Cursed like a sailor in front of her and B. Was currently looking at her like she was an idiot. “I just thought I’d stop you from nosing into the painting before the security guard came over.”</p><p>Typically, Seulgi liked to present herself as a polite, shy girl when it came to strangers. She only allows a select few to see her ‘wild’ side so suddenly. Yet here she was, opening and closing her mouth as if she were a blubbering fish out of water, trying to think of something, anything to say in return. The girl looked like something out of a painting herself, with her hypnotizing brown eyes and entrancing features. Seulgi thought she looked like the kind of girl artists mused over.</p><p>That’s when Seulgi wonders if there’s something feverishly wrong with herself. She was seriously contemplating telling this girl she looked like a work of art - what kind of hypocritical, cheesy bullshit was that?</p><p>“Oh,” Seulgi says instead. She laughs awkwardly, the sound ringing throughout the room. She was desperately trying to push these newfound, romantic thoughts away. “Thanks, I guess,” she mumbled. “Don’t mention it,” the other girl smiles, shrugging at Seulgi’s sudden shyness. The pair turn back to look at the painting, standing close enough for Seulgi to feel the brush of the girl’s shoulder against her own.</p><p>“Isn’t it just breathtaking?” The girl asks. From out of the corner of her eyes, Seulgi watches as the girl clasped her hands together, staring intently at the giant painting before them. It’s then that Seulgi remembers herself and the reason why she’s there in the first place. She’s supposed to hate this stuff...right? Just as Seulgi was about to open her mouth and contradict the stranger’s statement, the girl turned to look at her.</p><p>Seulgi makes the mistake of staring right back, at a loss for words with the girl’s warm, hazelnut colored eyes trained on her. Should I ask her if she could model for my portrait final in my painting class? Seulgi contemplates, chewing at her lip. Nah, that might be a bit forward. Sensing Seulgi’s hesitation, the stranger holds out a hand for Seulgi to shake.</p><p>“Ah, my name’s Bae Joohyun, what’s yours?”</p><p>Gingerly, Seulgi reaches for Joohyun’s hand. She pretends not to be affected by how smooth and soft the girl’s skin feels beneath her fingertips. “No worries. I’m sorry for screeching in your ear like that,” she laughs. “I’m Kang Seulgi.” And with that, the pair lapsed back into an easy silence, quietly contemplating The Kiss.</p><p>Seulgi was a little more distracted than before thanks to Joohyun’s ethereal presence. She found herself paying more attention to the other girl than the painting itself. “I think this has got to be one of my favorite paintings in the entire world,” Joohyun admits shyly. The tone of her voice, low and gentle, is all the reason for Seulgi to look at her once more.</p><p>But Joohyun’s still fixated on the painting. “Just look at them, right?” The girl breathes, pointing a finger up at The Kiss. Immediately, Seulgi does as she’s told, caught under Joohyun’s spell. “The grounder gold around then makes it look like they’re lost in each other, floating through all time and space,” Joohyun sighs wistfully. It’s the absolute adoration in her voice that’s making Seulgi’s heart melt. Not Klimt’s painting and certainly not the romantic themes of the painting itself.</p><p>“That’s so…,” Seulgi trails off when she feels her phone buzzing in her back pocket. She pauses to read a text sent by Seungwan and suddenly, her annoyance rekindles tenfold. Apparently, Seungwan had left the museum without her, leaving her stranded with The Kiss and a beautiful stranger by her side. Seulgi could feel Joohyun’s curious faze on her as she typed back a hasty response, knowing the girl was still eagerly waiting for her to finish her previous thought.</p><p>She tucks her phone away and frowns slightly at the painting. “That’s so lame,” Seulgi sniffs finally. Joohyun’s brilliant smile fades ever so slightly, like a flower wilting around the edges.</p><p>“What, what?” Joohyun sputtered, furrowing her brows together. “You heard me,” Seulgi replied matter-of-factly. “The Kiss sucks.” She could almost feel the other girl’s blood pressure rising. Giving her a glance, Seulgi found her cheeks blushing a deep shade of red. Despite it being an adorable sight, Seulgi managed to keep a firm grasp on her poker face.</p><p>“Hold up, just a minute ago you were about to walk smack dab into The Kiss and now you’re telling me you don’t even like it?” Joohyun scoffed, dumbfounded by Seulgi’s 360 response. “You heard me,” Seulgi replied simply, rocking back and forth on the balls of her feet. Other than being talented with a paintbrush, finding out ways to tick people off was one of Seulgi’s specialties.</p><p>She knew exactly how to push this girl’s buttons and hell, she was having a lot of fun doing just that. Besides, Seulgi was still completely convinced love was such a bullshit concept...or was she? “What the...are you kidding me right now, Seulgi?” Joohyun blurts out, her silky voice taking on a hardened edge. Seulgi merely shrugs disinterestedly, uncapping her pen to jot down a few notes for future reference.</p><p>She feels the warmth of Joohyun’s breath distractedly fanning down the side of her neck and she writes words like ‘overrated’ and ‘unrealistic’ in large, bold letters. Joohyun leans in closer to get a better look at what she’s writing until she’s flush against Seulgi’s side. “Seriously? You think love is too cliché when it comes to art?” Joohyun asks incredulously. Seulgi snorts quietly in response.</p><p>Stifling a smirk, Seulgi begins writing about how salty she was to be assigned The Kiss in the first place. “Oh, I know you didn’t just write that you don’t believe I love,” Joohyun says, a frown marring her pretty face. “That’s complete batshit. Everyone believes in love, it’s one of those universal themes that unify humans as, you know, humans.” Seulgi turns and gives Joohyun a smug look, ignoring their close proximity in favor of smirking at her.</p><p>“Is that so?” Seulgi questions smugly. She was certain she had Joohyun pegged as this head over heels romantic. The other girl nods her head triumphantly, her pretty pink lips pulling back into another dazzling smile. “What makes you so sure?” Seulgi questions, struggling to keep her tone even. Afraid of Joohyun’s answer, she buried herself in her notebook to scribble out a few more notes. She was doing her best to seem as disinterested as she possibly could in Joohyun and The Kiss, but her resolve was wavering with each passing second.</p><p>Maybe Klimt had cast a magical spell on her and that’s the reason why she was suddenly turning over a new leaf about love. Perhaps that was what made The Kiss so popular - witchcraft! She more so feels rather than sees Joohyun’s hand reach out and gently tuck a stray lock of Seulgi’s hair behind her ear. Sensing the ever shrinking proximity between them, Seulgi’s cheeks flush. Her body temperature skyrockets at the girl’s sudden and intimate gesture, uncertain of the thrilling feeling coursing through her veins.</p><p>Joohyun hums, verbally content with Seulgi’s blatant shock. Her slender fingers linger through the soft tresses of Seulgi’s hair, caressing the smooth strands a beat longer than what’s considered normal between two near complete strangers. As she did this, Seulgi remained completely stoic, staring straight ahead at The Kiss with her pen quivering in her hand.</p><p>“If you don’t believe in love, why are you blushing right now?” Joohyun whispered, her tone dark with something that made Seulgi’s mouth dry.</p><p> </p><p>**</p><p> </p><p>How they started shouting at each other over the symbolism of The Kiss after such a tension, tender filled moment, Seulgi is completely unsure of. The last thing she remembers, Joohyun was looking at her like she was about to kiss her and now they were arguing at nearly top volume. Clarity only comes to her when she catches a glimpse of the security guard power-walking up to them from over Joohyun’s shoulders.</p><p>He had stepped out of the room for a bit but no doubt, her and Joohyun’s argument had drawn him back to his post. Before he arrived, she had been yelling, “Oh, come on, Joohyun. As if you’ve ever had a kiss that’s made you feel as if you were ‘soaring through the cosmos’! That’s absolute baloney!” She certainly hadn’t been looking for trouble in such a statement. She herself hadn’t experienced such a thing and because of that, she certain other people hadn’t either. Seulgi was convinced it had to be something out of all those Hollywood movies.</p><p>That, and she had vastly underestimated Joohyun’s love for Klimt by a landslide. “Well, maybe I have, but I can’t say the same for you!” Joohyun replied, adopting a tone of reckless abandon and her voice rising to meet the same volume as Seulgi’s. At this rate, they were both going to be kicked out of the museum and banned for life. Seulgi couldn’t let that happen. She lived and breathed art - she couldn’t get banned from one of the largest art museums in Seoul.</p><p>“Admit it!” Joohyun was shouting, unaware that Seulgi had long given up on winning the argument. Her voice echoed, bouncing all throughout the room and the security guard’s solemn expression turned even angrier at this fresh outburst. All of Seulgi’s attempts to silence her went unnoticed. Fresh fear coiled up in the pit of Seulgi’s stomach, or perhaps it was butterflies from the way Joohyun was clinging to her.</p><p>“You’ve never had a kiss like that, huh?”</p><p>“Oh, so now I’m a bad kisser, is that what this is?” Seulgi fired back before she could help herself. And that starts an entirely new wave of rebuttal from Joohyun. “The Kiss demonstrates one of the best characteristics of love there is: getting lost in each other! So maybe that is what I’m saying, yeah!” Joohyun swats Seulgi’s hands away from covering her mouth, a deep frown set on her face as she fights to yell out her objections.</p><p>Seulgi’s only half listening at this point, too preoccupied with watching the security guard’s movements. He’d stopped a few feet away and was speaking into his walkie-talking. “Joohyun,” Seulgi hisses desperately, tugging at the girl’s sleeve. “Could you please be quiet for a second and listen to me?!” But there’s an untamed, unwavering fury lingering in Joohyun’s eyes and she refuses to back down. Joohyun easily wriggles free from Seulgi’s feeble grasp. “Look at the way they’re kneeling in the grass,” she continues arguing, dodging Seulgi once more.</p><p>She blindly brandishes a wild finger in the vague direction of the gilded painting. Seulgi’s face had turned red from chasing Joohyun around the exhibit, struggling to keep herself from breathing heavily despite her best efforts to catch and silence the other girl. Joohyun, on the other hand, seemed perfectly fine. She continued babbling on about The Kiss, barely even winded. What the hell, did this girl play sports or something?</p><p>“That, combined with the way they’re embracing one another. It’s almost like they’re paying homage to each other!” Joohyun sang out, gleefully ducking under Seulgi’s arms. Holy shit, Seulgi thought to herself. She does kinda have a point, there. But then she remembers the security guard calling in reinforcements and she pushes her dreamy thoughts away. When the hell is she going to shut up? Joohyun’s voice slowly fades into the background as a flood of security guards rushes through the doors of the Klimt exhibit, joining forces with the guard who called them in the first place.</p><p>Seulgi’s heart sunk in her chest and she stood rooted to the spot while Joohyun, still blissfully unaware of their fate, circled around her with her words falling on deaf ears. Oh shit. We’re about to get our asses handed to us by these guards, Seulgi internally groaned as the first wave of guards advanced upon them. “Joohyun!” She yelled, giving one last honest attempt to get the girl’s attention. The girl wheeled around to face her, “So yeah, maybe you are a bad kisser!”</p><p>And that goading jab is all it takes for Seulgi to pluck up the courage to kiss Joohyun. Well, that, and Seulgi had half a thought it might shock the guards enough into letting them get off scot free. At the very least, Joohyun would finally cease her ramblings. With trembling hands, she grabs Joohyun’s slender shoulders, turns the girl around to face her, and promptly leans in. Gently, she cups a hand underneath Joohyun’s chin to draw her lips closer, gently pressing them against her own. With her other free hand, she drags a slow trail down the column of Joohyun’s throat.</p><p>Instantly, the other girl’s aggressiveness vanished. Seulgi could feel the tension bunched up in Joohyun’s shoulders slowly relaxing. Well, that’s certainly one way to get someone to stop talking, Seulgi thought to herself. Oh shit...what if this makes Joohyun angrier though? And then all thoughts ceased as she felt Joohyun deepening the kiss, a set of hands firmly grasp at her hips.</p><p>“Oh-oh my god!” Seulgi hears one of the guards squeal with excitement. “Guys! Sooyoung-unnie, look! They’re reenacting The Kiss!” It’s then that Seulgi finally tears herself away from Joohyun and cracks an eye open. Though the guards had stopped advancing, she and Joohyun were still surrounded by the uniformed staff. Things were not looking like they were in her and Joohyun’s favor.</p><p>“Yeri, please focus on the task at hand,” comes the monotone response. “We’ve gotten at least a dozen complaints from fellow patrons. We’re supposed to be escorting these ladies out, not fangirling over them.” There’s a dejected sniffle, presumably from Yeri, who then whimpers a tiny, “Yes, unnie.”</p><p>“Um, so on a scale from one to astronomical, how was that?” Seulgi asks cheekily, referring to the kiss. Joohyun’s still got her eyes screwed shut, mouth parted in such an inviting way that Seulgi unconsciously leaned back into the girl’s vicinity. She draws closer, taking in the pastel pink color dusted across Joohyun’s cheeks and the smoothness of her skin. It made her heart ache to know she was the one responsible for such a beautiful flush.</p><p>She ghosts a hand up from under Joohyun’s jaw and traces the curve of the girl’s cupid’s bow. That’s when Joohyun’s eyes finally snap open. The dark swirling in Joohyun’s eyes had nothing to do with anger, much to Seulgi’s relief. The girl was peering up at Seulgi with a half-lidded look that spoke volumes about longing and Seulgi was ready to dive back into its depths. A pair of slender arms encircled Seulgi’s neck, tugging her closer.</p><p>Joohyun’s eyes flickered down to Seulgi’s lips and that’s all the invitation Seulgi needed to give in to her desires. But just as they kissed, an awkward cough from a nearby security guard interrupted them, reminding them of where they were.</p><p>“Hey, so like, I’m so sorry but-“ A female security guard stepped forward, an overly apologetic look on her face. She runs a nervous hand through her shoulder length blonde hair and fidgets, clearly having trouble articulating herself. Seulgi crooks an eyebrow at her, bemused at the guard’s obvious inexperience and shyness.</p><p>“I’m afraid we’re going to have to ask you to leave,” a taller, sterner security guard steps up. Judging by her powerful aura and distinctive uniform, this woman was clearly the leader of the security unit. Her long, midnight locks were pulled into a tight ponytail and her eyes glowered from beneath the brim of her security guard cap. The sight of her, hands on her hips, ready to unleash the small force of guards upon them sent a shiver down Seulgi’s spine.</p><p>“Right. W-we’ll just be going now,” Seulgi stammers, wincing pitifully underneath the woman’s intimidating stare. Joohyun slips a shaky hand into the crook of Seulgi’s arm and the pair bow their apologies. “We’re sorry for causing trouble today,” Joohyun added quietly, forlornly looking around the room. Seulgi spared her a glance, it seemed the other girl finally grasped how much trouble they’d caused. The black haired guard merely shoots another cold, empty look in response. Gulping, Seulgi leads Joohyun out of the exhibit.</p><p>As soon as the pair have left, the captain bursts out into a wide grin. She playfully pokes at her blonde companion’s ribs. “Did you see what I did there, Yeri?” She teases. Yeri grins back at her, gently pushing her away. “You did a fantastic job, Sooyoung-unnie!” In spite of herself, Sooyoung blushes. The pair share a knowing, loving look before the captain quickly turns to the other guards and orders them to return to their posts.</p><p>As their peers file quietly out of the room and disperse themselves throughout the museum, Sooyoung opts to relish in the quiet of the exhibit with Yeri for just a little longer. When Yeri motions to leave, Sooyoung merely shakes her head, gesturing for the blonde to join her in front of The Kiss. It wouldn’t hurt for them to spend a little more time together. After all, she hardly got to spend time with Yeri when they were at work.</p><p>“It was rather romantic of them,” Yeri comments offhandedly, referring to the couple that had been arguing loudly only a few minutes prior. Sooyoung chuckles quietly, eyeing the painting carefully. The sound of trudging combat boots fades down the corridor. “The kiss was kind of cute,” Sooyoung admitted after a beat of thinking. “I don’t know about all the yelling, though. They must both be art students or something to get so fired up about symbolism and all that, huh?”</p><p>She glances over her shoulder to ensure they’re the only ones left in the room and that’s when she shyly reaches for Yeri’s slender hand.</p><p>“I love you,” Sooyoung murmurs. Yeri smiles at her and squeezes her hand.</p><p>“I know you do,” she replies simply. “I love you, too.”</p><p> </p><p>**</p><p> </p><p>It’s half past noon when Seulgi and Joohyun burst out of the art museum hand in hand. The doors swing shut behind them and the tantalizing scent of food wafts up from the street vendors up the road. Seulgi licks her lips as she catches a particularly strong whiff of dumplings and rice cakes. As if reading her thoughts, Seulgi’s stomach gurgles at her. She hadn’t eaten more than the simple bowl of half-stale cereal that morning.</p><p>Joohyun’s fingers tighten around hers, bracing herself against the drastic drop in temperature outside. The action makes Seulgi’s stomach flip and she tries not to think how it might be the way Joohyun’s hand fits so snugly in hers contributed to the queasy feeling. But then Joohyun huddles closer to her, looping her free arm through Seulgi’s and those butterflies beating around her stomach became undeniable.</p><p>“So,” Seulgi starts, trying to fill the vast silence that’s enveloped them. The art major found herself struck with the suddenness of their departure from the museum. She felt unsure of how to act around the girl or what to say next. The pair amble down the stairs and make their way towards the sidewalk. Seulgi bides her time and Joohyun waits patiently when the girl’s stomach rudely interrupts her next thought. The sound promptly sends her and Joohyun reeling with laughter.</p><p>“Did you maybe want to grab something to eat?” Joohyun asks once they’re finally able to stop giggling. Delighted with the idea, Seulgi nods her head furiously. She’d do anything to have Joohyun stick around for a little while longer. Getting lunch with the girl would be a great segue into an unofficial first date. A long list of unasked and unanswered questions she’d been dying to ask Joohyun had been growing in Seulgi’s mind since their impromptu meeting.</p><p>“Okay,” Joohyun agreed brightly, radiating a warmth that made Seulgi want to pull her closer. “Before we decide where we want to go, I just want to know one more thing.” Seulgi assumed Joohyun was having the same thought and quickly readied herself for any sort of question the girl could throw her way. Nothing could’ve prepared her for the way Joohyun abruptly pulled Seulgi closer by the collar of her coat and dragged her into another smoldering kiss.</p><p>Seulgi quickly loses herself in the easy, languid movement of Joohyun’s lips, completely disregarding the fact that they were kissing each other senseless in the middle of the sidewalk. Then again, Seulgi couldn’t really complain. Her fingers tangled in Joohyun’s hair, heart threatening to beat faster and faster with each passing moment Joohyun’s lips pressed so deliciously against hers. When they pulled away, a blush had crept down Seulgi’s neck like wildfire and she felt almost feverish with her newfound desire.</p><p>“Before, you asked me how the kiss was, right?” Joohyun whispers, pressing her forehead against Seulgi’s. Both of them were breathing unevenly, struggling to catch their breath. “On a scale from one to astronomical?”</p><p>“Yeah,” Seulgi replied, swallowing hard at the deep, searching look the brunette was giving her. “I think it’s safe to say it was pretty astronomical, right?” Joohyun continued, her arms loosening around Seulgi’s waist. She made a vague gesture between the two of them, “This is the kind of emotion Klimt’s The Kiss encompasses and now we’ve both experienced it.”</p><p>“I’ll have to change the thesis of my paper for sure,” Seulgi teased, nodding along in agreement. She peered down at the other girl, still trying to process just how lucky she was to have met someone like her. Joohyun had single handedly snapped her out of her romance-repulsed nature. Well, with a little help from Klimt, of course.</p><p>“What’re you thinking for lunch?” Joohyun smiled, knocking her shoulder against Seulgi’s. They walked along, hand in hand, arm in arm as they passed by a string of little shops. Seulgi squinted up at the signs, looking for a suitable spot for the two of them. “Are you in the mood for dumplings? I thought I smelled some earlier,” Seulgi wondered aloud, scanning the shop signs carefully. “Over here,” Joohyun gently tugged at her arm.</p><p>Seulgi allowed herself to be dragged toward a street vendor set up near the corner of the sidewalk. The heavenly scent of sizzling dumplings filled the air and as they ordered, Seulgi was near the brink of drooling. They promptly dig into their food, having bought double portions for themselves. Who would’ve thought challenging authority and nearly getting yourself kicked out of a museum would work up such an appetite?</p><p>Standing off a little to the side of the street vendor, the pair waste no time in stuffing their faces. “Want to go to a park? There’s a couple spots nearby if you want,” Seulgi offers in between bites. Joohyun flicks an eyebrow up, Yes. The pair set off on a quick, somewhat uneventful walk that brings them to Tapgol Park. They grab a place to sit underneath the historical marble pagoda and continue eating, knees brushing.</p><p>“Do you go to school around here?” Seulgi asks suddenly, unable to hold back her curiosity any longer. Her stomach was feeling much, much better and she felt steady enough to start asking questions. “You know, I had a feeling you didn’t recognize me back at the museum,” Joohyun laughs, shaking her head. “Huh?” She catches the confused look Seulgi throws at her and shrugs, using her chopsticks to delicately bring another dumpling to her lips.</p><p>“I’m a third-year architecture major at Seoul National. We’re actually in the same art history class, Seulgi,” she shrugs. Seulgi’s mouth drops open, causing Joohyun to snort. “Don’t be mad but...I’m actually the one who suggested to our professor she should give you The Kiss. You weren’t there the day we were supposed to submit our preferences for the project and I might have let it slip aloud we should give it to you. Everyone was on board with the idea, even Seungwan.”</p><p>So that’s why Seungwan was acting weird a few weeks ago, Seulgi realized. But her brain was still slow to catch up with everything. “Hold up, we go to the same college?” She asks, the gears still struggling to turn. “Seoul National?”</p><p>“Yep,” Joohyun covers up a snicker by chewing thoughtfully on another dumpling. “You sat next to me in class last week, actually.”</p><p>“We...have class together?” Seulgi echoes, suddenly feeling faint. “Just the one, yeah,” Joohyun giggles, placing a concerned hand on the other girl’s shoulder. “How do I not remember seeing you around before? I feel like I would remember sitting next to someone so outrageously pretty,” Seulgi frowned, clearly upset with herself. She was observant in many ways, always looking for the tiny details in life to capture in her artwork, but how could she have failed to notice Joohyun?</p><p>It didn’t seem to bother Joohyun much, judging by the nonchalant way she was shrugging. A fond, shy smile was playing across her lips. “That’s very sweet of you,” the girl replied. “You’re always pretty focused on your work, silly. It’s admirable, really. Everyone can tell how dedicated you are to your studies. One time, I accidentally dropped my books in front of you in the hallway. You stopped to help me but you didn’t even look me in the eye before taking off.”</p><p>Seulgi bit her lip, utterly embarrassed at her behavior. Damn. To think, Joohyun had been right in front of her and she hadn’t even said hello. “Oh wow,” she muttered, poking at her last dumpling dejectedly. “I really am clueless, huh? Even during discussions…?”</p><p>“If it makes you feel better, I usually sit in the very back of the room. I’m not a big speaker during discussions, either. I’m too afraid of sounding like an idiot so I avoid it most of the time,” Joohyun says reassuringly, reaching out to intertwine their fingers. Seulgi still feels a hint of a frown on her face as she finishes the rest of her food. They sit there under the shade of the pagoda, people watching in silence. Seulgi watches Joohyun from the corner of her eye, trying to memorize all the details she could from the girl’s features. Maybe I should ask her to model for that portrait after all.</p><p>It’s nice, sitting there, reveling in the comfort of Joohyun’s presence. Sure, Seulgi’s hung out with friends before, but this was different. This was…Joohyun lets go of Seulgi’s hand and stands, stretching her arms up. When she’s finished, she offers her hand to Seulgi, who blinks up at her cluelessly. “I can take your trash if you’re done,” Joohyun explains, grinning down at her. “Oh, right,” Seulgi mumbles, passing along her takeout container.</p><p>Her eyes follow after Joohyun, afraid of losing sight of the girl as she weaves in and out of the slow trickle of people meandering about the park. “I think I get it now,” Seulgi mutters to herself. She breaks out her notebook and begins scrawling down a few jumbled thoughts in hopes of straightening them out on the page. She needed to get every last tidbit down. She didn’t want to forget any part of this new, blossoming feeling in her chest now that she was experiencing it.</p><p>This new page in her notebook is covered with notes depicting a love-struck girl finally gaining an understanding of The Kiss. If anyone were to read over her shoulder, Seulgi would certainly have died of embarrassment.</p><p>“Oh? What’re you up to?” Joohyun asks. She settles back down on their shared step with a coy smirk, nodding towards the notebook.</p><p>“Nothing!” Seulgi yelps, snapping the notebook shut. There’s a knowing look in Joohyun’s eye but she decides to brush it off. Artists needed their privacy and Joohyun respected that, even if her curiosity was eating her up. “If you say so,” Joohyun laughs, placing a gentle hand on Seulgi’s knee. It’s a while before Seulgi builds up enough courage to fold her hand on top of Joohyun’s, solidifying the girl’s touch.</p><p>“I think I finally get why love is such a powerful theme in art,” Seulgi admits. “Is that so?” Joohyun tilts her head to the side rather cutely, capturing Seulgi in the tenderness of her stare. Her tone is soft and coaxing, like a warm gust of wind fanning across her face. Joohyun’s eyes trail down to Seulgi’s lips. “Mhm,” Seulgi nods, her smile gleaming with underlying mischief.</p><p>Joohyun leans in just the tiniest bit closer. Seulgi could count every eyelash she had. “Prove it, then,” she whispers. And Seulgi does just that. Gently, she surges forward and presses their lips together. If heaven had a flavor, it had to be the taste of Joohyun’s chapstick on the tip of her tongue. Seulgi’s mind emptied, allowing her to focus entirely on the way Joohyun was caressing the inside of her mouth with her tongue.</p><p>“I think you’ve learned your lesson quite well,” Joohyun blushes when they finally break away. Her hair is slightly mussed and her lips have a bitten, almost bruised quality to them. “I did have a pretty great teacher,” Seulgi admits, giving her a wild grin.</p>
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